The basis of this analysis was the historical record, according
to psychologists Mark Lansdale and Julian Boon.

"Overall, we recognize the difficulty of drawing conclusions
about people who lived 500 years ago and about whom relatively
little is reliably recorded, especially when psychology is a
science that is so reliant upon observation," Lansdale said in a
statement. "However, noting that this is the problem historians
work with as a matter of routine, we argue that a psychological
approach provides a distinct and novel perspective: one which
offers a different way of thinking about the human being behind
the bones."

Villain or victim?

Richard III reigned for only two years before his death in
battle. His body, reportedly buried in a Leicester church, was
subsequently lost.

A University of Leicester-led dig in a city council parking lot
turned up the king's grave in September. Testing of the skeleton,
which bore battle wounds consistent with tales of the king's
death, strongly suggests that it is Richard III's. [ Gallery:
The Search for Richard III's Grave ]

The news triggered international interest in Richard III, who was
made famous by Shakespeare as a conniving villain in the play
"Richard III." Modern-day Richard enthusiasts contest that
portrayal, arguing that the king was the victim of a smear
campaign by the Tudor dynasty, which followed Richard III and had
every reason to tear his reign down to build up its own
legitimacy.

The psychology of Richard III

Richard III lovers will likely be pleased with the new
psychological analysis, which ignored Shakespeare's century-later
portrayal in favor of historical documents from the king's life.
The researchers found no evidence that
Richard III was narcissistic, devious, callous, reckless or
lacking in empathy, the
traits that define a psychopath.

However, Richard III's insecure childhood (which took place
during the War of the Roses, the civil war that would eventually
kill him) may have made him intolerant of uncertainty, Lansdale
said. The "intolerant of uncertainty" syndrome is associated with
piety, a strong sense of right and wrong and loyalty, he said.
But people who are intolerant of uncertainty can also harbor
control freak tendencies and overreact when they feel their
loyalty has been betrayed.

Richard III isn't the only historical figure whose personal life
has undergone scrutiny years after death. In 2011, an
anthropologist sought permission to open
William Shakespeare's grave to attempt to look for traces of
marijuana in the corpse's hair, fingernails or toenails.
(Previously, the anthropologist had found traces of pot on pipe
fragments in Shakespeare's garden, though cannabis was a common
raw material for textiles and rope in England at the time.)

The Mona
Lisa has been subject to similar scrutiny, with an ongoing
project searching for the bones of Lisa Gherardini Del Giocondo,
the woman who may have modeled for da Vinci's painting.